


Aise Hi

by Komorebiwalk



Category: Kota Factory (Web Series), Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020)
Genre: Aise hi, Blame Kriti for this, Fluff and Humor, How Do I Tag, M/M, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss, No Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:02:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28606407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Komorebiwalk/pseuds/Komorebiwalk
Summary: For Kriti
Relationships: Kartik Singh/ Jeetu bhaiya
Comments: 17
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For Kriti

“Life is messy. All we can do is to make it messier so that someone says,” Haye, akele tum se na ho paye!” and comes to us with a broom and a bucket and a mop.”  
Talking about bucket and mop-“   
The doorbell releases its ringing tone. It doesn’t feel that bad right now. The only man dominating the silence of the room catches the rhythm and leaves the chair with a move of Kathakali. He intentionally delays moving towards the door that was hardly 15 seconds away from his seat. The bell rings for a few more times as the bound pages on the table fill the ambience with a chaotic but soothing melody.   
The wooden door gets fully opened at one tug as the door opener struggles to hide his dancing moves that have been upgraded to Bhangra from the person standing outside with a newspaper in his hand and a warm smile in his face.  
His face curves a little more as if he has got more mirth than he expected. The owner of the house sighed a bit. He has surely failed to conceal his dance moves.  
Kinematics.  
“ A person is running at a maximum speed of 7m/s to catch a train. He is 6 metres away from the door of the compartment, the train starts to leave at a constant acceleration of-“  
Kinematics sucks...actually the whole portion of mechanics sucks like a bloody leech. Solving problems from that soul-sucking physics book was one of his worst nightmares.  
He sucked at that and it is would be too bold to assume that he is now 'swift' at solving those calculations involving lots of complex equations on velocity, acceleration etc.  
I will stop catching trains running if it wrenches the knowledge I possess in kinematics   
He once declared to his ‘friend’. He stated this to make his Physics loving friend’s blood boil or he was just flaring up his disgust...he can’t remember now.   
Whatever...he sucks in math and he has already given his demo.  
“ Kya baat hain ji! Neya saal ki surwat bhangra se ho rahi hain”, the boy smiles. Kartik takes the newspaper in his hand as his eyes go dreamy...thinking about mechanics?...or mechanicswallah...we don’t know.  
“ Jiju nahi uthe abhi taak?”, the boy peeps to widen his sight range,” kya hui? thaakan zyada ho gayi kya kaal raat ki?’. His smirk goes unseen as a half lost Kartik nods and answers- “ haan... online classes ki chonchle hain...he would probably sleep within his physics notes if I didn't take him to bed".  
“Oh”  
“ Tu na ek second ruk”  
Kartik breaks his reverie and vanishes into the household.  
Raju takes his eyes back to the garden flooded with numerous Chrysanthemums, snapdragons and obviously, one of his favourites, wide variety of petunias that remind him of the gulals of holi. Dream captures his senses as his eyes wander through the garden. He heads to the plants and hits a metallic knob prodded into the ground. A smile covers his face when the sprinkles of water rejuvenate the plants with yet to bloom, dormant lives waiting for the warmth to dominate the environment.

" Abe o baccha! Idhar aa", Kartik screams and waves at Raju. Raju gives the plants a goodbye smile and running he reaches Mr Singh.  
" Acche se dhup khil na abhi baaki hain ,nahi?", Kartik says while looking at the yet to be illuminated trees next to their westward fence. Raju's eyes follow his and he gets a little shock when a warm shawl wraps him. He looks at him quickly and finds a smiling Kartik wishing him a very happy new year with his hands occupied by new clothes.  
Raju bows to reach his feet and Kartik, this time, though being a weak student in kinematics, successes to prohibit his actions. " Abe pagle!", he makes him stand straight in front of him again, "Gale mil, bhai! Pair kiu chu raha hain!"  
Raju hugged him. Kartik senses some moisture on his sweater and releases him from his clutch. He doesn't forbid him to cry. He just hugged him tighter.   
" Ye behen ke liye aur ye papa ke liye. Jeetu ne bohut dhyan se chuna tha-  
" Jeetu bhaiya ko ek baat batana tha", Raju interrupts," Mere papa ne ha bol diya hain! Wo bhi mere aur behen dono ke liye! Books ke paise bhi wo dene ke liye taiyar ho gaye", Raju smiles again.   
" That's great! It's one of the best new year gifts a teacher can ever receive. I am just imagining his face after I will deliver this message to him. Mujhe to tere pair padh na chahiye". He really leans and Raju gives an Olympic wala vault and gets a few steps back. Kartik laughs at his gesture and few seconds later he screams to the 17 years old boy opening the gate," Yaad karke 7 baje aa jana ha? Behen aur papa ko bhi lana!".  
" Zarur!", Raju's emotion engulfed voice couldn't utter more. His heart pumps joy and he prays to God to give every happiness possible to this couple as he heads to return home riding on his bicycle.

Kartik rests his eyes upon the garden. The device Jeetu fitted into the ground does have a unique method of sprinkling water to the plants. It was different than any other watering system he has ever seen.   
He stands there until the sun rupturing its cocoon hits the dew-fed moist ground with its slanting rays. Some lines suddenly hits his mind,  
"Stone bench, high above the hill  
Feast the eyes with mustard field beneath  
The wind crossing, it's sharp angles hurt  
Till your arms are stretched  
the way the peahens rejoices the rain  
I huddle towards you  
smashing me among your guts.

Your eyes travel through my psyche  
The wind comes as a breeze  
too gentle but aimed  
Remember the last time we came?  
You pushed me and I was confused  
Now I hear the saplings whispering  
gossiping wittily about my flippancy

You are so still, so silent...  
Why?  
Don't you know your rantipole thoughts  
severs the strings of my soul?"

...a man wrote. Kartik saw the man's sleep-possessed face over those loose pages full of free verse. The pages were near to some papers containing complex equations with Latin signs. The slanting rays were hitting his spectacle, covering his closed eyes the way the Sunlight is hitting the ground now.  
" Sab subject ek i hain. Bas hamare human brain mein inti capacity nahi ki sab kuch ko bina divide kiye hue sikhe. We had to break the topics for our better understanding. But at the end, every subject collides with one another" Jeetu had said sipping his coffee.   
Kartik likes when Jeetu prowls his mind palace. How deep he goes while talking about perception and understanding! He loves how Jeetu looses himself into the alleys of his mind-town, rants like a child when he is so overwhelmed to discuss how arts and science broadly overlap. He enjoys his monologue. And when Jeetu finally finds himself, gathers proper words to explain his intuitive yet spontaneous thinking, he feels proud to be able to accompany this man.   
He respects this man.   
He loves this man.  
He wonders how he unravels new layers of Jeetu and it feels so familiar at the same time.  
....

It's too much for a man to daydream at the beginning of a year, he suddenly realises. But he never blamed himself for having a Jeetu-possessed mind. Jeetu is just...  
Okay. Time to halt. Some necessary chores have to be done.   
He closes the door and walks straight to the kitchen. After some times he is seen taking a bottle out of the medicine-box. He hears someone murmuring when he takes the glass of cold-lukewarm water in his hand. The dark red solution of betadine slowly dissolves in the water.   
" Here, take this. You have brushed your teeth, haven't you?", Kartik says while handing him over the glass. Jeetu slightly nods and heads to the basin.  
"Come to the dining table after you are done. I will be there. I have a talk with you". He declares in a cold voice as he retires to the kitchen.  
Jeetu stands there puzzled. He checks the nearest calendar again. Yes, it is 1st Jan 2021. Who the hell talks like that to his husband...and particularly this time of the year? Kartik behaved as if they were drug smugglers! As if he would expect him to meet anywhere else... Damn this man! Jeetu giggles a bit. But for some reason, he couldn't accept his behaviour as 100% hilarious.  
After gargling Jeetu walks towards the dining table with a towel and says, " Hey, have you seen those Vicks WHAT THE HELL!"  
He runs to close a diary opened on the table erupting his 'secret writings'.  
" You scold me for reading fanfics and you name this diary-"  
" Shut up and say why you opened my diary-"  
" Surely you are joking, Mr Jeetu", Kartik says lowering his eyes and voice, " I was low-key 'okay' with you stealing my hoodie. Fine, that's totally fine. But claiming ' our shared diary' 'yours' is what bothering me", Kartik completed his sentence like an advocate.  
Jeetu stayed there dumbfounded. Yes...yes it was their shared diary...it was 'their' diary...  
" And coming to the previous point", Kartik coughs and continues, "...you wrote this yesterday night, na?...you could have just asked me if you were feeling horny. I could honestly help", Kartik stands up and giving him a sarcastic glare rushes to the kitchen to bring breakfast. Jeetu follows him as he slams the diary on the table. This time, the diary is closed and the title upon it is completely readable-

  
' _Nifty Shades of Grey'_


	2. Chapter 2

“Kartik, listen I-“

Kartik pulls him close, roaming his fingers through his hair, he sighs,” You have hardly combed your hair...haven’t you?

Jeetu closes his eyes, filling himself with that tranquil sensation he whispers," No

“Why?

“...because I was waiting for you to stroke through it”

Kartik stops twirling his hair and lifting his chin a bit he says,” Mu khol

“wh-

“Open your mouth and please don’t rhyme with ‘HA HA HA’”, Kartik said seriously

Jeetu, still puzzled, vaguely opens his mouth. Kartik gives him his patented cold glare,” I am not feeding you chocolate or anything edible”. Jeetu’s eyes took several seconds to adjust with the sudden change in intensity of light. Kartik holds the torch over his face and Jeetu finally opens his mouth properly. Why is this man like this? He would give 1 hour lecture with subtle hints just to make the person in front of him understand something that can be summarised in one single sentence

Kartik inspects for some times and after that he is shown typing rapidly in his phone. Jeetu tries to peep and fails. “Dr. Mishra?”, he interrogates

“ You couldn’t peep. You are guessing right?

“ I know its Dr. Mishra

“ Dr. Mishra ko bhi chodd do. You need your own 21 days wala schedule. Otherwise it will be like...kya kehete hain Bengali mein...ha- ‘ Asche bochor abar hobe’ ( We will see next year again)"

Jeetu laughs. Meanwhile Kartik exclaims,” Done”, typing a few words and shuts the phone up

“ Today, at around 3:30 pm”, Kartik says

“ kya odd time hain nahi?

“Exactly. Your Tonsillitis has more regularity”

Jeetu gulps. Yes he is suffering since 26th of December. “kuch nahi hoga. Bas thoda sa naak bandh hain”...how many times he has denied and refused to take precautions...he can’t count now. It started with some itchy sensation in his throat. He can clearly remember that it was Christmas Eve. After dinner, when they were having deserts, Jeetu just coughed a bit in the middle of their conversation. Kartik gave his cold glare mixed with 3 kilo of concern. Jeetu ignored himself. But that man checked his calendar and showed it to him. Jeetu saw that the post Christmas weeks are marked with distinctive red circles and a lot of ‘hijibijbij’ writing (past few years’ statistics). Jeetu had laughed a bit and sang few catchy lines of Kishor Kumar’s songs to demonstrate his 'great' vocal condition. Kartik wasn’t assured obviously

Days flew and more common symptoms arouse. Jeetu, however, bore enough confidant to fight Kartik. In the afternoon of 29th December, Jeetu saw a sign board hanging from the wall of the study room. It said

“Gargle properly. Take medicine. Stop drinking iced coffee. Consume some hot chocolate instead.This year, if you again catch Tonsillitis, I will stuff your throat with cotton

...and...on the third day(actually night) Jeetu tried to wake Kartik up at 2:15 am and before he could barely touch him, he got a tight slap on his right cheek. Kartik was awake...hence proved. The midnight slap did hurt

Kartik first wrapped him with the blanket, shook him severely to 'akal thikane lagane'.Taking a tube of amrutanjan he had kept under his pillow he started massaging it over his forehead. After a few minutes of massaging he went to the kitchen and brought something, so bitter in taste ( read horrible), a glass full of warm solution clearly made of extractions of different herbs. Kartik didn’t utter a word, just handed the glass over to him maintaining his intimidating silence

Jeetu realised that even he himself got some sleep; Kartik that night remained awake till the sun rose. In case Jeetu needed him... Jeetu did feel guilt for that. But the first day of suffering was always so bad...Kartik knew it

Jeetu remembered night of 30th December when Kartik wrapped him with himself to provide warmth. He slowly rubbed his back when he was having slight breathing problems. Thermometer, roll-on balms and other essential things had already been gathered on the table near to their bed. Every thirty minutes he checked his temperature (Kartik was more anxious obviously. Once he catches fever it doesn’t leave without making him suffer, Jeetu knows...

“Why do you take care of everyone except yourself?

Jeetu didn’t answer

Maybe his health condition didn’t permit

...or because he didn’t have any legitimate shit to vocalise

He does annoy this man so much. Instead of having a good new year morning, he has given him enough headache.

“Sorry

He says silently leaving the kitchen

He halts at the doorway to their bedroom. He will get ample time to self-sabotage himself through- out the year. It would be better if he stay refrain from those thoughts now. He has caught Tonsillitis, make his husband suffer at the end of 2020 (He HIMSELF has suffered but that’s not the point here). He has taken necessary drugs, didn’t show chivalry by bathing with ice-cold water, stopped drinking iced-coffee for some days (he knows the pain), gargled three times a day and gulped down whatever Kartik gave him. So...he is a good husband. One have to endure this much while taking oath to spend rest of his life with someone workaholic like him, isn’t

“ kaam na ho sautan ho gayi meri

How many times he has heard Kartik ranting this..

But is Kartik himself someone who is ‘available’ 24x7

No. Obviously not. In his defence, Jeetu can say that he has spent many nights, waiting for someone to come and occupy the vacant place on their bed. He has spent multiple nights just tossing and turning from this side to that side, devouring the darkness of the room yearning for someone's presence. Sometimes he just wants to snatch the laptop from his clutch and throw it away...Kartik is not someone who should complain about being 'ignored'. Huh..

With quick steps Jeetu heads to the bed. Rays coming through the window was crawling down to the bed,illuminating a portion in circle. Jeetu sits there letting the warmth encircle his torso. He needs this.

He tilts his head a bit and giggles. Rays reflecting from his golden earring casted a dorky impatient light spot roaming through the blue canvas. After letting it have some abrupt motions, Jeetu moves his head in a definite manner and murmurs

" K...

Childish excitement dominates him. The flickering light spot obeys his commands as it's transit path indicates another later

" A...

Jeetu turns his face towards the table near to their bed. There is a thing, small in size, but absolutely one of his favourites. He gives it gentle force with his index finger and it gathers motion, changing its pattern rapidly and quiet magnificently. He displaces it a bit to let the sunlight hit it directly. The small helicone with wooden core and glass surface casts a dynamic rainbow mandala over their blue wall...no kaleidoscope can imitate this beauty.

As the motion of the helicone slows down, Jeetu places the light spot over the wall

" R...

Then suddenly he turns his head to the other side.

Kartik enters the room.

Jeetu saw him coming. No, he sensed him coming.

" Can you read me a book?

" Sure...which one?

No reply

Kartik waits for another minute. But the only silence breaker on the room is the mild sound of the helicone slowly coming to rest

Kartik smiles. You want me to guess it out, don't you? Challenge accepted

Jeetu leaves him in uncertainty. Let's see. Will he guess it right or not..

He reaches the book shelf idly, placing his hand from this part to that part of it, stealing glances occasionally

Jeetu shows no interest to give any hint... verbally.

Kartik stands there as if he is calculating, screening out possibilities.

A light smirk is visible upon his lips when he streaches his hand to reach a book for the last time

Did he guess right? Did he?

Jeetu's confusion comes to an end when a familiar hand gradually encircles his torso and a voice, low-key whispering tone dominates his consciousness

His other half murmurs

" _In the plump dusk, I hear_

_a peacock screech_

_eye marks on my lover's neck_

_Kamali, let's go_

_to the lake_

_to moisten our love scars..._

Suddenly Jeetu finds himself breathing hastily underneath his man. Him twirling his hair...shooting spasms through his veins. Kartik puts the book aside and feels their overheating bodies yearning for intimacy. Curtains blocks the sunlight from invading their privacy. Kartik murmurs as they lay with their fingers entwined.

" _My secrets rest_

_in the wedding_

_hut. I visit another_

_man as the moon_

_circles down_

_Come my protégé_

_my Kamali, to bed_

_I will show you_

_moves of a new_

_planet as no_

_astrologer could..."_


End file.
